Controlling access to documents by parties

Abstract

Access to documents by parties can be controlled as follows. First, access can be controlled in accordance with access counters associated with the parties, where the documents have one or more versions. Second, access can be controlled in accordance with access levels associated with the parties. The access level of each party is one of a first access level, a second access level, a third access level, or a fourth access level. The first, second, third, and fourth access levels are ordered from the first access level to the fourth access level such that the first access level provides a greatest degree of access to the documents and the fourth access level provides a least degree of access to the documents. Third, access can be controlled in accordance with placement of organizations within a hierarchy of organizations, where the parties are organized over the organizations.

We claim: 
     
       1. A method for controlling access to one or more documents by a plurality of parties, the documents having one or more versions, the method comprising:
 in response to a first party attempting to access the documents, determining, by a processor, whether the first party created a latest version of the documents; 
 in response to determining that the first party created the latest version of the documents, permitting, by the processor, the first party to access the latest version of the documents; and 
 in response to determining that the first party did not create the latest version of the documents:
 determining, by the processor, whether a first access counter associated with the first party is less than a second access counter associated with a second party that created the latest version of the documents; 
 in response to determining that the first access counter is less than the second access counter, preventing, by the processor, the first party from accessing the latest version of the documents; and 
 in response to determining that the first access counter is not less than the second access counter, permitting, by the processor, the first party to access the latest version of the documents, even though the first party did not create the latest version of the documents. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising in response to determining that the first access counter is less than the second access counter, where the first access counter is zero, preventing the first party from accessing any version of the documents. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , further comprising in response to determining that the first access counter is less than the second access counter, where the first access counter is non-zero, permitting the first party to access one or more older versions of the documents to which the first party is allowed access in accordance with a value of the first access counter. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising;
 in response to determining that the first party created the latest version of the documents, the first party creating a new version of the documents and supplanting the latest version of the documents; 
 in response to the first party creating the new version of the documents, increasing an access counter associated with each party that is currently non-zero; and 
 for an access counter associated with each party that is currently zero;
 determining whether the party is to have access to the new version of the documents; and 
 in response to determining that the party is to have access to the new version of the documents, increasing the access counter associated with the party to one.